HAROLD IVAN SMITH, MA, ED.S., FT, DMIN
Harold Ivan Smith, MA, ED.S., FT, DMin, is a national speaker, noted author, experienced counselor and grief educator. He has presented bereavement workshops across the country, training more than 20,000 professionals and lay caregivers during a thirty-year career. Seminar and conference attendees rave about interactions with Harold Ivan, and his insightful gifts of helping, healing, and facilitating grief. Smith is recognized as a Fellow in Thanatology by the Association for Death Education and Counseling. He is a member of the teaching faculty at Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas City and had lead storytelling groups for grievers for 18 years. He serves on the board of the Grief Support Network in Kansas City. He serves as a staff celebrant for Speaks Suburban Memorial Chapel in Independence, Mo.
A prolific writer, he has authored dozens of books and resources, including best seller, A Decembered Grief: Living with Loss When Others are Celebrating. Also among his titles are Griefkeeping: Learning How Long Grief Lasts; ABCs of Healthy Bereavement; Grievers Ask, When You Don’t Know What to Say; When Your Friend Dies; Finding Your Way to Say Goodbye: Comfort for the Dying and Those Who Care for Them; and Grieving the Death of a Father. His newest book is Using Biographical and Historical Grief Narratives With the Bereaving (Routledge). He is also an authority of the griefs of American Presidents and First Ladies.